Simon Griffee
Department of graphic design, art direction, and photography.
September 2008
Tram in Viale Trastevere, Rome, Italy, September 2008
Pictures of surfaces with reflections remind me of human thought…Flowing all over the place, with glimpses of ideas, shapes of memories, constant movement… These pictures remind me of J. Krishnamurti’s writing about thought, knowledge and the need for your mind to be still (Freedom From The Known - Jiddy Krishnamurti.), free from anxiety.
Hello, World
This site project is a spontaneous reaction to real events involving what I call imaginary lines, or abstract barriers, either in the physical world or in the human mind. These barriers are not real in the natural world. These are barriers imposed by humans.
These borders are created by others or by your own self whilst under the influence of others. They are created by power, by systems, by fear, by distrust, all of which are in turn created by a lack of true education, a lack of critical, individual thought and an absence of love. They are borders that delay or often stop you outright from following your dreams and destinies.
Some of the most common and most destructive examples of imaginary lines are political borders—indeed the idea of separate ‘countries’ itself—and organized religion (mechanical thought).
If you have had an experience involving imaginary lines, I encourage you to get in touch and share your story. I will publish it here if you wish, with or without your name, as you see fit. Comments are open, too are closed for the time being until I finish transferring the Imaginary Lines project from its own domain over to SimonGriffee.com.
Good places where imaginary lines are broken through, where real life and dreams and true education flourish, will be pointed to here as well—it will not all be doom and gloom, so please come back often!
Imaginary Lines
This project is an attack on the ideas of national borders, sovereign states, nationalism and the political division of human beings.
I created Imaginary Lines to serve as a place to chronicle and discuss my beliefs that nationalism is a divisive force responsible for much of the strife in the world, that national borders are harmful to all humans, and that no human being is ‘illegal’.
I believe that when one considers oneself ‘American’, ‘Brazilian’, ‘Chinese’ or any such terms one is separating oneself from other humans in the world and ultimately committing an act of violence. I consider organized religion in similar veins to national borders—divisive, destructive, dulling.
I encourage dialogue. I do not believe in absolutes. Awareness, truth in education, critical thought, intelligence, love, must prevail.
Simon Griffee Bracciano, Italy 21 September 2008
Man Riding Bicycle at Night, Rome, Italy, September 2008
There are those who are young in body and old in mind and heart, and there are those who are old in body and young in mind and heart. There are also those who are always young.
Is the secret to eternal youth not to keep your mind open, to stay aware, to have no absolutes?
Dad in the Morning, Formello, Italy, September 2008
A photograph of dad while we walked toward a café. Dad doesn’t think he can drink coffee anymore, but he made an exception on this day.
Part of a project about my father.
